Limits on Winnebago Installed Receiver Hitch

JD Allen · 08-08-2006, 07:09 AM

I have a question about the receiver hitch on my Winnebago Sightseer 29R. The hitch has a sticker on it that says the hitch is rated for 5,000 pounds with a limit of 500 pound vertical load. There is an additional sticker on the hitch that says to limit the vertical load to 300 pounds. This second sticker says nothing about ultimate load limit.

I crawled under my motorhome and looked at the hitch installation. I see the hitch has three mounting holes on each side. Winnebago only used the top two holes and the bottom hole remains unused and sets below the mounting bracket. I'm assuming this is the reason why they placed the sticker limiting vertical load to 300 pounds. Because the sticker does not address the ultimate load I'm wondering if the hitch is still rated for 5000 pounds. Currently I'm towing 3000 pounds so all is ok for now.

I plan to tow a 6500 pound boat so I will take my motorhome to a local hitch installer, Torklift, and have them modify the hitch, and hitch installation, for 7000 pound rating. They have engineers who can determine the necessary changes to carry greater loads.
The motorhome is rated to tow 8000 pounds so all should be good.

My question is does anyone know if I can tow 3000 pounds or 5000 pounds on a factory installed Winnebago Sightseer 29R receiver hitch.

JD Allen · 08-08-2006, 07:09 AM

I have a question about the receiver hitch on my Winnebago Sightseer 29R. The hitch has a sticker on it that says the hitch is rated for 5,000 pounds with a limit of 500 pound vertical load. There is an additional sticker on the hitch that says to limit the vertical load to 300 pounds. This second sticker says nothing about ultimate load limit.

I crawled under my motorhome and looked at the hitch installation. I see the hitch has three mounting holes on each side. Winnebago only used the top two holes and the bottom hole remains unused and sets below the mounting bracket. I'm assuming this is the reason why they placed the sticker limiting vertical load to 300 pounds. Because the sticker does not address the ultimate load I'm wondering if the hitch is still rated for 5000 pounds. Currently I'm towing 3000 pounds so all is ok for now.

I plan to tow a 6500 pound boat so I will take my motorhome to a local hitch installer, Torklift, and have them modify the hitch, and hitch installation, for 7000 pound rating. They have engineers who can determine the necessary changes to carry greater loads.
The motorhome is rated to tow 8000 pounds so all should be good.

My question is does anyone know if I can tow 3000 pounds or 5000 pounds on a factory installed Winnebago Sightseer 29R receiver hitch.

Tom N · 08-08-2006, 07:37 AM

There is more involved with increasing the towing capacity than just strengthening the hitch. The transmission, rear axle bearings, tow vehicle brakes, engine cooling and much more has to be considered.

That 6500# boat is way over your chassis limit of 5000#.

JD Allen · 08-08-2006, 08:02 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">That 6500# boat is way over your chassis limit of 5000#. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Chassis limit is 8000 pounds, receiver limit is 5000 (or maybe 3000 pounds as installed) pounds.

Here is towing info for my model:

"The GCWR is 26000 pounds. (GCWR tells us the amount the power train should pull without damage.) This means that this model can pull up to 8000 pounds in excess of its own weight when loaded to capacity. However, the actual towing capacity may be limited by the capacity of the hitch.

Transmission, axle bearing, tow vehicle brakes, engine cooling, and much more have been rated for 8000 pound tow on my motorhome. The limiting factor is the 5000 pound hitch.

Tom N · 08-08-2006, 09:26 AM

The Ford chassis towing capacity is 8000#?? Did you get this figure by substracting the GVWR from the GCWR??

JD Allen · 08-08-2006, 11:03 AM

GCWR = 26000
GVWR = 18000
---------------
Tow Capacity = 8000

Actual weight loaded = 16100

tderonne · 08-08-2006, 11:04 AM

There's info form Ford (fleet.ford.com?) that brags that the F53 can tow up to 10,X00 pounds, or something like that. Sure it's the 15,X00 GVW chassis which has the same 26,000 GCWR, but that info is from Ford. JD's 18K chassis is rated to tow 8,000 pounds, exactly as you state, GCWR-GVW, same as Ford does it.

JD Allen · 08-08-2006, 11:25 AM

I just called Winnebago and they told me that the hitch is rated at 5000 pounds but because of the way they mounted the hitch and because of the strength of the rear overhang the hitch is further limited to only 300 pounds vertical load.

In other words I can tow a 5000 pound load but I can only have 300 pounds of tongue weight.

hotrod 32 · 08-08-2006, 02:59 PM

My 2000 Adventurer has a similar 5,000/350 My 20 all aluminum enclosed trailer was 3,500 empty. At 10% tongue weight all I could do is tow it empty. I have since gone to a aluminum open trailer @ 1500 lbs empty so I can at least put a 2500 car on it and be reasonably close. The MH has no problem pulling but I didn't want the greif if anything was to go wrong.

Jed09 · 05-24-2011, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD Allen

I have a question about the receiver hitches on my Winnebago Sightseer 29R. The hitch has a sticker on it that says the hitch is rated for 5,000 pounds with a limit of 500 pound vertical load. There is an additional sticker on the hitch that says to limit the vertical load to 300 pounds. This second sticker says nothing about ultimate load limit.

I crawled under my motorhome and looked at the hitch installation. I see the hitch has three mounting holes on each side. Winnebago only used the top two holes and the bottom hole remains unused and sets below the mounting bracket. I'm assuming this is the reason why they placed the sticker limiting vertical load to 300 pounds. Because the sticker does not address the ultimate load I'm wondering if the hitch is still rated for 5000 pounds. Currently I'm towing 3000 pounds so all is ok for now.

I plan to tow a 6500 pound boat so I will take my motorhome to a local hitch installer, Torklift, and have them modify the hitch, and hitch installation, for 7000 pound rating. They have engineers who can determine the necessary changes to carry greater loads.
The motorhome is rated to tow 8000 pounds so all should be good.

My question is does anyone know if I can tow 3000 pounds or 5000 pounds on a factory installed Winnebago Sightseer 29R receiver hitch.

based on my friends facts that this means that this model can pull up to 8000 pounds in excess of its own weight when loaded to capacity. However, the actual towing capacity may be limited by the capacity of the hitch.